Hey, thanks a lot, I'm fine.
The situation is really strange here, but there's nothing dangerous really. There's a big social and political problem in France right now, but I hope everything's gonna be fine.
The events of the last 12 nights are complicated and seemingly contradictory, but no more so than any other instance of collective violence: there is no real ideological underpinning, but the riots are more than just senseless violence; people are angry at a country that has provided poorly for them and put up barriers against their pursuit of happiness, so they burn their own neighborhoods.

And please, I've heard that some american channel are speaking about a religious problem in France, and riots linked to it, but NO, that is not at all a religious problem, that's just a social problem.

Pardon my ignorace. Virani, how much are you able to do of your normal life at this point in time? Are you and your wife able to work and do errands? If not, have you been advised to stay home or is it a decision that you made? Is the violence occurring at a particular time of day or is it random?
Just curious to get a perspective from a local. The new is only telling us the periphery here in the states.

Sorry I didn't get a chance to introduce myself at Hukilau. My apologies for my rudeness.

1. The riots are mostly happening in the bad quarters in the suburbs of Paris, or of the main citys in France. As I'm living in Paris, I haven't even see anything burning, or fights with the police...

2. My life has not changed at all, I'm still taking the metro to go to work, I'm still going to bars after work to drink, if the TV didn't show me the riots, I wouldn't have think there would be some kind of troubles.

And even, a good friend of me, that works with me who lives in the bad parts, have seen cars burning, or stores burning, but he only had troubles 1 night to go back to his place.

I don't know what they're telling you, but really, no ones dead yet, I'm not scared (yet), but we'll see how it will go. Don't believe everything the media tells you.

Still, I think it's a bad thing and (sorry Hanford, I know we don't have to talk politics), it will probably be a bad thing for the next political election, as lots of people are scared of the immigrants (mostly north african), LePen (the racist bastard) will get more votes due to those young idiots (the riots are being made by really young guys, like under 18).

Anyway, I'm glad I can learn you something, and are you sure we didn't met at Hukilau ? I think I remember talking a few minutes with you ??

Bonjour Virani,
Merci beaucoup pour l'information! It's good to get your perspective on what's been going on in Paris. The press here has been very alarmist - at least until today when they started telling us that the riots are tapering off due to "tough" government imposed curfews and such.

It sounds all too familiar to me, Virani, having lived through the '77 NYC Blackout & the '92 LA Riots. Whatever reasons there might have been to explain why things got started, it quickly becomes about violence for violence's sake, and the perpetrators always seem to carry it out in their own neighborhoods (the area they're most familiar with).
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We had similar riots down here in Australia too, not quite as bad, but required riot cops out every night. Same story, the people who in poor socio-economic positions. Slums would be the politically incorrect term. Started out with a few people and grew. When in that situation, the "mob" mentality takes over.

Cops who are the ones workin with the people on the streets recognised people who were making good progess in outreach programmes and the like. They just get sucked in by the action. When you are in a mob, you feel like you have power, and the media gives you attention. It isnt constructive, but the powerless feel empowered for a while, because they are getting attention.

Like a kid who gets no attention, misbehaving so mum will pay attention. Same deal, but obviously a bit more complicated.

Its not a race or a religion issue. But the people in the lower soco-economic areas tend to come from the minority races/religion, so it is related.
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How is the situation where you are now? I've been hearing the demonstrations are actually escalating within the Paris city limits, and the metro has been partially shut down. Are you and your wife okay? Are you able to get to work?

They have Fox News on here at work, and according to them, the reason the riot police are standing nearby and not attacking and shutting this down is because the French government is confused and poorly led. Yeah, that's it. A real government would be pounding the citizens into pulp.

My daughter and sister just got back from Paris last week and saw some barracades here and there, but nothing really.
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